Flora Rose was a human too ahead of her time.

From her intellectual power and academic achievements to her works as a humanitarian and a social commentator, Rose was an underappreciated hero of her lifetime. Within the academic realm, her contributions to the home economics studies were undoubtedly life-changing, especially for young housewives and mothers in the early 1900s. As a pioneer of the home economics movement, not only did she create a completely new class and department here at Cornell, but she also founded the institution that later became the College of Human Ecology. Despite future conservative changes to the concept of home economics, Rose’s initial purpose was to create a safe and academic environment to educate women who decided to pursue the role of housewives on how to live a better and healthier life.

After the First World War, Flora Rose utilized her extensive knowledge in nutrition to serve communities affected by the war in Belgium. She conducted research across the nation targeting children and their physical and mental health. Her works as a researcher were pioneering at the time, given that her methodology of long-term qualitative and quantitative surveys was not common at the time. Her work helped the United States government contribute as much aid as it was necessary to save Belgium from extreme poverty and starvation. During that time, she proved herself to be both an outstanding researcher and humanitarian.

Flora Rose was also a key personality in several social movements. She openly expressed her opinions on society’s misconceptions about gender roles. Alongside her partner, Martha Van Rensselaer, she was a feminist leader and defeated societal expectations about women. Not only did she pursue a higher-level education when it was not common for women to do so, but she became a pioneer of her field.

Before attending this event, I had no background on the life and works of Flora Rose. Now, I understand why our house so proudly carries the name of a leader worthy of our admiration.